Target Golf Game System

ABSTRACT

A golf target system featuring a hitting bay including a golf ball launch monitor system, a playing area including a plurality of illuminated panels, and a controller in communication with the golf ball launch monitor system and the plurality of illuminated panels, wherein the controller selectively controls the illumination of the plurality of panels to define one or more visual targets observable from the hitting bay and receives information from the golf ball launch monitor system such that, when a golf ball is hit from the hitting bay towards the playing area, the golf ball launch monitor system communicates data to the controller sufficient for the controller to identify a landing position of the golf ball with respect to the one or more visual targets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to systems for playing golfwith electronic scoring. More specifically, the present inventionrelates to a target golf system for practicing and playing golf morefully integrating the travel of each golf ball put into play, withoutthe limitations of previous target golf courses.

Target golf ranges are an increasingly popular way to enjoy golf. Targetgolf ranges typically add electronic scoring to the traditional drivingrange. Previous target golf ranges have used microchipped golf ballsthat players hit towards a small number of target locations. In someversions, these target locations are large ball collection points thatfunnel balls to readers that read the microchip to determine the playerthat hit the ball.

Previous target golf ranges have suffered from a variety of drawbacks.For example, balls that do not hit targets do not register and are lost.Also, some balls hit the target, bounce out, and do not register. Evenwhen the target is hit, some balls do not register for a reason such asread error. Conversely, in some situations, balls that miss the targetmay roll into the target following an unintended path. Accordingly,there is a need for target golf ranges that can register and score allhit balls.

Additionally, in some previous target golf ranges, balls that do notland in the collection point may come to rest on the range and score nopoints for the player. In such a system, the difference between a ballgetting a high score or getting no score at all may be a matter ofinches. Therefore, there is a need for target golf ranges that can scoreall balls that land on the field without sharp boundaries imposed by thelimitations of the targets.

Further, previous target golf ranges often include static targets thatare built into the playing field. Players must shoot at targets withfixed geographical locations and no variety. These static targets cannotor cannot easily be reconfigured. Thus, the static layout of the golfrange may result in static, unchanging gameplay. Accordingly, there is aneed for target golf ranges that include reconfigurable targets thatprovide for varied, interesting gameplay.

Even further, previous target golf ranges only provide limited feedbackto players. A player may view his or her score and limited strokefeedback based on the location of any targets the player has hit, butthe player is not given any feedback on the manner of the player'sswing, stance, etc. Because repeating the same known moves withoutinstruction simply reinforces bad habits, there is a need for playerfeedback that directly observes player actions and gives relevantfeedback.

Accordingly, there is a need for target golf system that provides a richtarget environment, observes the players swing and the travel path ofthe ball, and accurately determines the landing location of the ball, asdescribed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To meet the needs described above and others, the present disclosureprovides a target golf system that provides a target rich environment,observes the player's swing and the travel path of the ball, andaccurately determines the landing location of the ball.

In an embodiment, the target golf system may be embodied in a drivingrange that can simultaneously function as a traditional driving range, agaming center for individuals or groups, and a learning center providingcomplete and accurate feedback about every aspect of a person's golfswing. The target golf system may include one or more hitting bays fromwhich users or groups of users hit golf balls. Each bay may include auser interface, such as a touchscreen display, to control gameplay, viewscores, view feedback regarding a swing, etc. For example: games,targets, and mode of play may be selected on the user interface in thebay. The user interfaces may be controlled by one or more controllers,such as a PC-type system running specialized target golf software thatprovides the functionality described herein.

Using the user interface, users may select a quantity of balls, amountof reserved bay time, or number of games from a menu and are assigned toa hitting bay from the one or more driving range bays. The userinterface may determine and record the order of play for the group muchthe same as order of play is established in a bowling alley. Players maytake turns hitting balls in the determined order. The controller mayassume that the person who is hitting from a given bay is the personwhose turn is determined by the established order. Maintaining theproper rotation sequence may be made the responsibility of the playersin that bay.

The mode of play may be selected by the user(s) using the userinterface. When used in game mode, the user is presented a wideselection of games and targets that can be customized for the skilllevel of each individual player. When used in training mode, the user isencouraged and directed to work on improvement of their individualskills and may be provided feedback regarding the user's swing.

In an embodiment, the target golf system may use multiple trackingsensors, individually or in concert, to track the origination, flightpath, and landing location of ordinary golf balls. In an embodiment,these sensors may be any combination of optical cameras, infraredcameras, lasers, radar devices or ultrasound transducers. In anembodiment, the sensors may be high-speed optical cameras. To assist inball tracking, the golf balls may be marked with one or more surfacemarkings that aids in ball rotation calculation.

In this embodiment, multiple high-speed cameras and specialized softwareare used to track the motion of the ball. Optical motion tracking mayrely on the ambient lighting to illuminate the ball travel path,however, in other embodiments, artificial lighting may be used toenhance detection of the ball. Each ball is tracked from the moment itleaves a bay until it reaches the playing surface. Alternatively, inother embodiments, a portion of the ball's flight path may be analyzedto calculate its likely landing location given the balls velocity,direction, rotation, present wind speed, and aerodynamic drag of theball. A ball leaving a bay may be assigned to a particular player in thesame way that a bowling ball is assigned to an individual bowler. In anembodiment, the bay may detect when the ball is hit, for example, thebay may include an electronic tee that detects the hit, or the bay mayuse a microphone to detect the hit based upon sound, etc.

When the user hits the ball, the controller may begin analyzing thevideo feed from the cameras to determine the motion of the ball. Forexample, the controller may use multiple frames of video captured by thehigh-speed camera to determine the velocity and direction of the ball.Rotation of the ball may additionally be inferred from the video frames.For example, in an embodiment, a ball may include various colors paintedonto opposing faces of the ball. By detecting the colors shown in eachimage from both cameras, the controller may calculate the axis ofrotation and speed of rotation of the golf ball.

In an embodiment, the motion of the golf ball and its ultimate landinglocation on the driving range may be calculated using physicscalculation from the measured initial ball motion, including velocity,direction, and rotation of the ball. To further improve the accuracy ofthe calculation, the system may include sensors to determine courseconditions, such as wind speed, temperature, air pressure, and humidityto further refine the expected motion of the ball. The controller mayuse the measured initial ball motion and the measured course conditionsto calculate a landing location sufficiently accurate for the scoring ofthe game and providing sufficient feedback to the user. The calculationmay take into account the balls kinematics, gravity, the Magnus effect,air friction, wind direction, etc.

In other embodiments, the motion of the golf ball and its ultimatelanding location may be tracked by a plurality of cameras during thefull flight path of the ball. For example, the system may include baycameras that detect the initial ball motion and one or more rangecameras that are controlled by the controllers to track the ball throughthe full flight path. For example, in an embodiment, a bay may include acomputer-aided range camera for each bay that is controlled by thecontroller to move the ball into focus based on the detected initialmotion viewed by the bay cameras. In an embodiment, the various videofeeds from the bay cameras and the ranged cameras may be assembled intoa replay video for subsequent viewing by the user to understand themotion of the ball.

After the controllers determine the motion of the ball, the player maybe scored for the swing. The score awarded for a given flight path mayvary based upon the game the user has chosen, a level of play chosen bythe user, etc. For example, in an embodiment, the user may be playing agame such that the hitting range is divided into various sections witheach section worth an assigned number of points. The user may then beawarded the points corresponding to the section that her ball landed in.

In an embodiment, the target golf system includes: a hitting structurewith individual hitting bays, possibly located on multiple levels;high-speed cameras focused on the players; the hitting bays, eachequipped with a touch-screen computer console; the three-dimensionalhitting range area; high-speed cameras focused on the three-dimensionalhitting area; a playing surface equipped with a means of displayingtargets, graphics and messages; and a computer system that will takeinputs from the cameras and the inputs from the players through computerconsoles located in each hitting bay and provide information to thedisplays on the playing surface and to the players through the computerconsoles located in each hitting bay. The facility of the target golfsystem may also include an adequate water retention area for rainwaterrunoff and a safety fence.

In an embodiment, the players may interface with the controller throughtheir bay's touch-screen user interface to select the games or mode ofplay, determine the order of play among players in that bay, select andhighlight targets on the console and in the display on the playingsurface, access information related their own shots or referenceinformation for a shot or to compare information on their shots to thoseof professional players. When reviewing shot performance, players may beable to identify points and angles of their body position and comparethese to those of professionals for similar shots. In game mode, thecontroller may determine what points are to be awarded to each playerfor their shots and records the progress of each game.

The controller may also display targets for the mode of play and thesetargets may correspond directly with points of reference displayed onthe playing surface. In an embodiment, the playing surface of thedriving range may have embedded LED lights that may be turned on and offby the controllers to create points of reference patterns on the playingfield corresponding to targets in the user's selected game. In anembodiment, the user interface may display more specific information fora target or game. For example, the user interface may display targetinformation related to the points of reference on the playing surface.This may permit the user interface to display more than may be displayedon the playing surface because information that is specific to playersin one hitting bay may work to confuse players in another hitting bay.

When starting a game, in an embodiment, individual players can selecttheir preferred skill level: novice, intermediate or expert. Thisselection may limit or expand their required accuracy and affect howpoints are awarded for the user's shots. In an embodiment, the user mayalso select as to whether the end of the shot is determined by the pointat which the ball first touches the playing surface, the point of finalforward motion, or the best result with respect to proximity to thetargets for the game being played.

Each bay of the hitting structure, by its physical location, has its ownunique 3-dimensional (x-y-z) coordinates. The cameras may identify aball as originating from a bay by the x-y-z coordinates associated withthe origination of its flight. The computer stitches together themultiple inputs from the cameras to map the x-y-z flight path of eachgolf ball from beginning to end. The beginning identifies the bay oforigin. The play order determines the person who made the shot. Thefinish of the flight path determines the proximity to selected targetsand is used by the controller to compute the point total to be awardedto that player for each shot. The total three-dimensional flight pathmay also be displayed to show the shape of each shot and may bedisplayed alongside other information, such as hang-time, ball speed,ball rotation and flight direction (pull, hook, draw, straight, fade,slice or push).

In an embodiment, the tracking sensors may be activated as they registera ball exiting each hitting bay. Each ball may be tracked and its flightpath recorded as it travels from the hitting bay until it first contactsthe playing surface or it completes its roll. The controllers maydisplay the information on ball flight on the user interface of theoriginating hitting bay. Statistics on each ball that may be recordedinclude, but are not limited to, club head speed, initial ball speed,ball rotation, flight path, hang time, distance travelled, and proximityto target. When used in a game or competition, points may be awardedbased on proximity to various targets.

In an embodiment, the playing surface may comprise a plurality ofidentical panels that are covered with a heating pad and artificialturf. Although any sized panel could be used, in an embodiment, panelsthat measure 15-feet by 20-feet would be convenient because they couldbe used to calculate distances without the aid of a computer (15-feet is5-yards and the 20-foot width makes the diagonal measurement 25-feet(3-4-5 triangle)).

In an embodiment, the heating pad provides a cushion and helps tomaintain a temperature above the freezing point of water to eliminatethe accumulation of snow and ice to permit cold weather play.Additionally, the cushion provided by the heating pad and the artificialturf may work to simulate the bounce and roll of playing on actual turf.The panels may be tilted and mounted on an incline to provide bettervisibility from the hitting bays. Gravity may be used to return balls tothe hitting area. Balls and moisture may move down the slope of a panelto fall to a water collection and ball-return surface below the playingsurface. The collection surface may be sloped to guide the balls andwater back to a collection point near the hitting bay structure. Theballs may be strained from the water to return to the hitting structurefor re-use. The water may be guided to a retention pond.

All balls that are returned to the hitting area may be screened forfitness for continued use and then cleaned. The screening can beaccomplished by rolling each ball down an incline to gain speed, thendropping to a solid surface. Balls that are fit for further use willbounce above a pre-determined height and land in a collection area to betransferred on for cleaning and further inspection. Balls that do nothave adequate bounce (cut balls, for example) will not clear thescreening level and will not make it to the collection area. These ballswill be discarded. Balls maybe washed and checked optically to see thatthey carry proper markings. Remarking will occur, if necessary. Ballsmay then be transferred to the hitting bays, possibly using an elevatorand gravity dispenser system.

A fence or screen may surround the playing surface. In an embodiment,this fence is of sufficient height to prevent balls from escaping thehitting area. The towers that support the surrounding fence can also beused to support VAWT (vertical axis wind turbines). The VAWT can be usedto supply power that is supplemental to the required power grid. Thetowers may also be used to support the high-speed cameras and fieldlights used in the ball flight tracking system. The towers may also berented as cell towers to provide additional income. The high-speedcameras and lights may also be protected from ball strikes by includingsome type of mesh shroud.

Other embodiments of this invention may include a golf target systemfeaturing a hitting bay including a golf ball launch monitor system, aplaying area including a plurality of illuminated panels, and acontroller in communication with the golf ball launch monitor system andthe plurality of illuminated panels, wherein the controller selectivelycontrols the illumination of the plurality of panels to define one ormore visual targets observable from the hitting bay and receivesinformation from the golf ball launch monitor system such that, when agolf ball is hit from the hitting bay towards the playing area, the golfball launch monitor system communicates data to the controllersufficient for the controller to identify a landing position of the golfball with respect to the one or more visual targets.

The embodiment above may also include a hitting bay with a userinterface in communication with the controller such that the userinterface receives information related to the landing position of thegolf ball with respect to the one or more visual targets. This interfacemay allow for a user's selection of the illumination of the plurality ofpanels defining one or more visual targets observable from the hittingbay to the controller. The user interface may also display targetinformation related to the one or more visual targets observable fromthe hitting bay.

Other embodiments of the golf target system may feature a golf balllaunch monitor system which includes a first camera and a second camera.The first camera may communicate information to the controller regardingan initial position of the ball hit from the hitting bay and the secondcamera communicates information to the controller regarding a subsequentposition of the ball hit from the hitting bay.

The playing area of the embodiment above (and others) may include one ormore panels positioned within the playing area and are angled towardsthe hitting bay. These panels may be supported by a pivot point enablingthe positioning of the supported panel within a range of angles.

The embodiments above and others may also feature a golf target systemwhich can identify the landing position of a golf ball as calculatedbased on the information received from the golf ball launch monitorsystem via calculation or monitoring.

A goal of this invention is to provide a target golf game system whichis flexible and adaptable to all users, play styles, and settings. Thepresent invention can be set up as a full-sized golf ball diving rangeor made smaller in scale and allow those in urban environments or otherareas with limited space to enjoy target golf.

An advantage of the present invention is that it tracks each ball hit byusers from tee to landing, meaning users will no longer lose theirball(s). Additionally, the present system can automatically tally thescore based off where a ball lands to make the various iterations oftarget golf more accessible without the tedious aspects of the sport(e.g., keeping score).

Another advantage of the present system is that it enables game modesand the playing surface to be updated at the press of a button. Thepresent system can control the color, patterns, etc. of the panels whichmake up its playing surface. Using this control, the playing surface canbe made into a virtually limitless number of visual designs andconfigurations.

Practically, the present invention also enables driving range owners theability to collect and maintain their facilities with much less workthan a traditional diving range. The design of the present system notonly encourages users to hit balls in play, it also prevents balls hitout of play from escaping and automatically aggregates balls hit in oneeasy to manage location.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the examples willbe set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings or may be learned byproduction or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages ofthe concepts may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies,instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord withthe present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations.In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similarelements.

FIG. 1 is a top down view of a target golf system's playing area.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a target golf system.

FIG. 3 is a side vide of a target golf system without barriers.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hitting bay in use.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the electronic components of the target golfsystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a top down view of a target golf system's 100 playing area120. As is shown, the target golf system 100 includes a hittingstructure 110 and bays 112 overlooking a rectangular driving rangeplaying area 120. Each hitting bay 112 within the hitting structure 110may be at least 10-feet wide and feature a control panel 500 (discussedin FIG. 5). The side of the hitting structure 110 that faces the playingarea 120 may be curved so that it is the same distance from each hittingbay 112 (shown in FIGS. 3-5) to the center of the playing area 120. Thehitting structure 110 may also house the front desk, snack bar, meetingrooms and party rooms, rest rooms, indoor hitting facilities andmaintenance areas. Hitting bays 112 may be located on multiple levels ofthe hitting structure 110. The playing area 120 may be subdivided intovarious panels 125 for scoring, as shown here in contrasting patterns(note: different colors, images, shapes, etc. can be displayed upon thepanels 125). When a user hits a ball onto a given panel 125, the usermay be awarded points for the landing location of the ball.

In this embodiment, pattern differentiation of the designs on the panels125 may allow players to visually distinguish one panel 125 fromanother. The patterns, colors, images, etc. on panels 125 may bealternated in a repeating pattern to help distinguish landing areas andtargets (with different points being awarded for different panels whicha user lands a ball on). For example, this differentiation could be assimple as alternating rows of light green and dark green turf In theexample shown in FIG. 1, panels with differing patterns have beenarranged at random to provide users a high degree of difficulty whenattempting to land a specific targeted panel 125. An out of bounds area127 may surround the outside of the playing area 120 and be made up ofpartial panels. For playing purposes, the out of bounds area does notaward points when a user's ball lands upon this area.

Another example of alternating panel 125 design could be the Rigby-DMLpattern, which stands for Red, Yellow, Green, Blue-Dark, Medium, Light.The pattern of the Rigby-DML field would alternate with rows of Red,Yellow, Green and Blue, while the columns would alternate with shades ofdark, medium and light. The outer 10-feet of the left and right sidesand partial panels 125 at the front of the playing surface may beconsidered OB (out of bounds) and will not be used in scoring.

It is appreciated that the playing area 120 is large. Accordingly, for a400×900 foot playing area 120, there may be approximately 1,200individual panels 125. If each panel 125 is individually colored orpatterned, the playing area 120 may become visually overwhelming.Therefore, multiple panels 125 may be visually combined to display asingle color, pattern, etc. as a mosaic. For example, it would makesense to combine four panels into a 2 by 2 matrix resulting in a colorsection that measures 40-feet wide by 30-feet deep. The depth of 30-feetequals 10-yards (a fairly standard measure in golf) and the diagonal ofthe colored area would be 50-feet. This would work well in allowing aplayer to quickly, visually determine the length of his or her own shotwithout the aid of the computer.

In an embodiment, artificial turf may coat the top side of the panels125 and incorporate optic fibers for display purposes. The optic fibersmay be woven into the fabric of the artificial turf and may bedistributed evenly throughout the turf. The optic fibers may extendabove the turf to approximately the same height as the turf fibers toavoid being blocked by the turf fibers. LED lights incorporated into thepanel below the turf may illuminate the optic fibers. The LED lightsmay, in turn, be controlled by the controller to illuminate the opticfibers. In an embodiment, each optical fiber may be connected to a red,a green, and a blue LED to permit a full range of displayable colors.Alternatively, laser projections may also be used for display purposesto create more detailed colors, images, targets (e.g., a bullseye orvirtual hole).

When illuminated, the optic fibers mentioned above can be used todisplay targets, graphics and messages on the playing surface that arevisible from the hitting bays 112. In addition, each panel 125 may besurrounded on three sides (top, left and right) with boundary LEDs(these can be colored to match the color of the artificial turf). Theseboundary LEDs may be recessed into the gap between the panels to preventdamage due to contact with moving golf balls and help create a seamlessvisual display for users.

The system 100 may utilize these display capabilities to identify aparticular target before a shot or to identify a panel 125 once a ballhits it. For example, in an embodiment, the LEDs of all panels 125 mayinitially start out a specific color (e.g., green) and may be changed toanother color (e.g., red) upon being hit by a player from any bay. Thelighting of the LEDs and optic fibers may be controlled by thecontroller based on inputs by the users or the calculated balltrajectory as determined by input from cameras.

In some embodiments, the LEDs and optic fibers may be illuminated, asrequired, to define certain target boundaries. For example, LEDs andoptic fibers could be illuminated to outline the wedges of a dartboardfor certain games. Alternately, different LEDs and optic fibers withinthis same matrix could be illuminated to display the Target Golf logo orto broadcast text or pictorial announcements to all users.

Additional physical targets and patterns may be built into the playingsurface. The additional targets may be recessed to prevent damage fromball strikes but not so recessed as to limit visibility from the hittingbays 112. The additional targets may be removable so that they areinstalled and used only for certain occasions. These additional targetsmay be used to highlight targets and acknowledge hits.

In an embodiment, ball flight and strikes may be embellished usingsounds played from the computer console in a given hitting bay. Forexample, free games earned by a user can be announced by an accompanyingsound of a golf ball falling into a cup; this sound is both familiar andsatisfying. Sounds and display lights may be used to indicate theinitial strike of a ball on the playing surface and distract theplayer's attention from subsequent bounce and roll of their ball. In anembodiment, the bounce and roll of the balls will approximate, asclosely as possible, the performance of a ball in actual play throughthe selection of playing surface materials, but because of theartificial contours of the playing surface this performance cannot bethe same as actual ball performance experienced on a golf course. Theplayer may look to the user interface for an estimate of the actualbounce and roll of their ball.

Targets may be displayed on the computer console in each hitting bay andin the LEDs and optic fibers on the playing surface. Displays on thepanels 125 may be momentarily brightened or flashed by highlighting themon the computer console in each hitting bay to assist the player invisually identifying the targeted panel 125.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a target golf system 100. As shown in FIG. 2,barriers 200 in the form of walls, netting, opaque panels, etc. enshroudthe exterior of the playing area 120. This keeps plays hit by system 100users from the hitting bays 112 (within the hitting structure 110) inthe playing area 120 while also preventing balls from hitting nearbycars, structures, etc. The angled nature of the panels 125 relative tothe hitting bays 112 can also be seen in this figure.

FIG. 3 is a side vide of a target golf system 100 without barriers 200.In this embodiment, the lower level bay(s) 114 may be used for playerswho want the traditional driving range experience. These lower levelbays 114 may not be equipped with computers or cameras. The panels 125of the fully equipped bays 112 may be situated above the eye level of anaverage height player standing in one of the lower hitting bays 114 tomaintain the enjoyment of use for users of the lower bays 114. Thepanels 125 may also have a pivot point 126 to allow repositioning andmaintenance as well as a heating element embedded within them to preventice and snow accumulation.

In an embodiment, the playing area 120 may range from 300 ft.×750 ft. to450 ft.×1050 ft. Ideally, the playing area 120 will measure 420 ft.×900ft. with a 10-ft. wide out-of-bounds (OB) area 127 along each sideinside the barriers 200. In an embodiment, the hitting structure 110that is located at a narrow end of the playing area 120 and will measureapproximately 470 ft.×100 ft.

In an embodiment, the orientation of the facility housing this system100 may be planned to minimize problems caused by wind and sun. Forexample, if the facility is built in Northern Illinois, to takeadvantage of the prevailing winds and to position the sun predominatelyat the player's back, the entire facility should be situated so that theballs are hit from Southwest to Northeast. Hitting balls from South toNorth would be less desirable. Hitting balls from West to East would beeven less desirable because the morning sun could be in a player's eyes.For this example, hitting in any other direction would not beacceptable.

In one example, the water collection and ball-return surface 300 may beangled upward away from the hitting structure on a two percent grade(the minimum angle required to guarantee the free flow of water). For areturn surface 300 under a playing area 125 with a 900-foot run, thistranslates to an 18-foot rise. A smooth, non-porous covering may coverthe heating material to provide a surface for the water and balls totravel upon as they head toward the hitting structure. The heatingmaterial may warm the water and ball return surface to just above thefreezing point of water, when needed, to prevent the accumulation of iceand snow on the surface. The panels of the playing surface may bemounted on scaffolding and elevated above the water and ball returnsurface. The panels and scaffolding may be angled to match the twopercent grade of the water and ball return surface. The panels may beattached to the scaffolding on hinges that allow the panels to be tiltedbeyond the two percent grade. The hinges may be configured to be lockedto provide fixed tilt-angles of the individual panels. The lockedposition of the panels may be set to provide a minimum gap betweenpanels to allow balls to pass through and drop to the ball returnsurface, below. The tilt of the panels may also be increased, ifrequired, to exceed the minimum angle of repose for golf balls on thespecific turf material being used. An individual panel may also beangled and locked in place to allow maintenance access to the nextadjacent panel away from the hitting structure and provide a protectivescreen for the maintenance worker from moving golf balls that aretravelling away from the hitting structure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hitting bay 112 in use. As shown inthis figure, each bay 112 may include two or more high-speed bay cameras400 to permit determination of the ball's trajectory inthree-dimensions. For example, in this embodiment, the bay includes afirst camera 401 with a field of view including the golf tee 101 from afront facing angle to the user and a second camera 402 with a field ofview including the golf tee 101 from an overhead angle to the user. Acontroller 510 (shown in FIG. 5) may use the video feeds from the firstcamera 401 and the second camera 402 to determine the velocity,direction, and rotation of the ball shortly after being struck by theuser. The frame rate of the cameras 400 may be chosen such that eachcamera (401 and 402) captures multiple locations of the ball before itleaves the field of view of the given camera 400. Additionally, theshutter speed may be chosen to minimize motion blur of the ball in eachcapture. The cameras (401 and 402) may record video continuously into alimited-size buffer.

In addition, hitting bays 112 may be equipped with the cameras 400 toaid in a person's ability to monitor their own performance. Golf is aside-on sport, meaning that one side (their leading side) is facing theplaying field. Cameras 400 may be positioned facing the player and ontheir trailing side to record the swing for each shot. The player mayreview the swing on the user interface (shown in FIG. 5) in real time orin slow motion. This monitoring equipment may capture and displayclub-head speed, ball speed, ball rotation, as well as, swing motion.These images may be available to the player on a display console anduploaded to flash drives for review and swing analysis. Players may alsocompare their swings to recorded examples of other players. Markers maybe added to the recorded video to identify body parts, body angles, andswing planes. Players may also access instructional videos on theircomputer console. Digital copies of their recorded sessions may also bepurchased.

Each bay may also be used to provide a timed practice session. The focusof a timed practice session is to provide feedback on a person'stechnique rather than to promote access to the restaurant and bar. Theplayer may view the actual flight-path of each shot displayed on thecontrol panel. The control panel may also allow the players to identifytheir intended target and their proximity to that target or accept acomputer-recommended target and subsequent proximity. A comparison mayalso be made between intended flight path and actual flight path.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the electronic components of the target golfsystem 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the target golf system 100 may feature acontrol console 500 within a hitting bay 112 which can be any type ofinteractive computer system (in this case a touchscreen computer, butcould also be a mobile device, PC, etc.). This control console maydisplay a system 100 control graphical user interface 505 from whichusers can review data collected by the system. For example, users canreview footage of their screen captured by the system's 100 cameras 400(as shown in FIG. 4). The console 500 is supported by a system 100controller 510. The controller 510 can be incorporated into the console500 or be a standalone device (e.g., a separate computing device). Thecontroller 510 not only supports the information displayed on theconsole 500 but also communicates with the system 100 panels 125,cameras 400, and other sensors to collect and send information to andfrom these components. Such communication may be carried out by wired(e.g., networking cable, USB connection, etc.) or wireless means (e.g.,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee). For example, in the embodiment shown, thecontroller 510 may receive instructions via the control console 500 tohighlight a certain panel 125 in the playing area 120. The controllerwill then communicate with the chosen panel 125 (wirelessly in thisexample) and the panel 125 will be more brightly lit, have its colorchanged, etc. to make it stand out. Once the panel is highlighted, theuser may then carry out their shot. The system 100 will record the shotdata, landing spot, etc. via its cameras 400 and other sensors. Suchdata will be sent to the controller 510 (in this case data from thecamera 400 is sent via wired connection). The controller 510 will thenanalyze, collate, and pass the data on to the console 500 for display toend users.

It should also be noted that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention andwithout diminishing its attendant advantages.

We claim:
 1. A golf target system comprising: a hitting bay including agolf ball launch monitor system; a playing area including a plurality ofilluminated panels; and a controller in communication with the golf balllaunch monitor system and the plurality of illuminated panels, whereinthe controller selectively controls the illumination of the plurality ofpanels to define one or more visual targets observable from the hittingbay and receives information from the golf ball launch monitor systemsuch that, when a golf ball is hit from the hitting bay towards theplaying area, the golf ball launch monitor system communicates data tothe controller sufficient for the controller to identify a landingposition of the golf ball with respect to the one or more visualtargets.
 2. The golf target system of claim 1, wherein the hitting bayfurther includes a user interface in communication with the controllersuch that the user interface receives information related to the landingposition of the golf ball with respect to the one or more visualtargets.
 3. The golf target system of claim 2, wherein the userinterface communicates a user's selection of the illumination of theplurality of panels defining one or more visual targets observable fromthe hitting bay to the controller.
 4. The golf target system of claim 2,wherein the user interface displays target information related to theone or more visual targets observable from the hitting bay.
 5. The golftarget system of claim 1, wherein the golf ball launch monitor systemincludes a first camera and a second camera.
 6. The golf target systemof claim 5, wherein the first camera communicates information to thecontroller regarding an initial position of the ball hit from thehitting bay and the second camera communicates information to thecontroller regarding a subsequent position of the ball hit from thehitting bay.
 7. The golf target system of claim 1, wherein one or morepanels positioned within the playing area and are angled towards thehitting bay.
 8. The golf target system of claim 7, wherein one or moreof the panels are supported by a pivot point enabling the positioning ofthe supported panel within a range of angles.
 9. The golf target systemof claim 1, wherein the identified landing position of the golf ball iscalculated based on the information received from the golf ball launchmonitor system.
 10. The golf target system of claim 1, wherein theidentified landing position of the golf ball is observed based on theinformation received from the golf ball launch monitor system.
 11. Agolf ball flight tracking system comprising: a first camera; a secondcamera; a controller communicatively coupled; wherein the controllerreceives from the first camera data regarding a first location of a golfball prior to the ball being struck and receives from the second cameradata regarding a second location of the ball subsequent to the ballbeing struck; wherein the controller determines a landing location ofthe golf ball by utilizing the data regarding the balls first and secondpositions.